Unions point finger over discrimination

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has condemned employers that do not give jobs to disabled people who are keen to work.

In a report last week it published a three-point plan for employers, and said the government should prosecute companies found to be treating disabled workers or disabled job applicants unfairly.

It also recommended that ministers put additional resources into the Access to Work scheme, which gives financial support to employers that face extra costs because they employ disabled workers.

John Knight, head of policy and campaigns at charity Leonard Cheshire, said one in three disabled people left paid employment in the year following the onset of disability, so ideas such as leave for rehabilitation had to be “seriously examined”.

A spokesperson for the Federation of Small Businesses said employers had made great progress but there was still a long way to go. He said: “We have been working closely with the Disability Rights Commission to encourage our members to make their businesses more accessible.”